Speaker Channel Test

Test left/right, stereo and balance to confirm sound comes from the correct side.

Channel & phase test

Test the left, right and stereo channels and the balance sweep to verify your speakers or headphones.

Frequency -

Status -

Volume 50%

Frequency

Now playing: None

Frequency-

StatusReady

Audio output devices

Detecting audio output devices…

Test tips

Make sure the audio output device is connected and selected.
Headphones are best for judging channel separation.
Keep the system volume moderate (around 30%) before starting.
Lower the volume before loud tests to protect your hearing.

{"mode":"channel","basePath":"/speaker/","dict":{"mode":{"base":"All","channel":"Channels","sweep":"Sweep","freq":"Frequency"},"baseStart":"Ready — run all 6 checks in order: left/right channel, stereo, balance, sweep and frequency.","startTest":"Start test","reset":"Reset test","done":"Test complete — your audio output is working normally.","prevStep":"Previous","statusWaiting":"Awaiting test","statusOk":"OK","progressLabel":"Progress","totalLabel":"of 6","sLeft":"Left channel","sRight":"Right channel","sStereo":"Stereo","sBalance":"Balance","sSweep":"Sweep","sFreq":"Frequency","stepKicker":"Step {c} / 6","instr":{"left":"The tone should come only from the left ear/speaker. If both sides sound, it is usually mono mode or a wiring issue.","right":"The tone should come only from the right ear/speaker.","stereo":"Both sides should sound together, with a centred image.","balance":"The image should glide slowly from left to right, then settle back in the middle.","sweep":"Listen from low to high frequency and check for any dropouts, distortion or crackle along the way.","freq":"Play low, mid and high tones once each to judge tonal balance and distortion."},"heardIt":"Heard it — continue","retest":"Retest","startPlay":"Start","chTitle":"Channel & phase test","chSub":"Test the left, right and stereo channels and the balance sweep to verify your speakers or headphones.","testLeft":"Test left channel","testRight":"Test right channel","testStereo":"Test stereo","testBalance":"Test balance","stopPlay":"Stop playback","volumeLabel":"Volume","playing":"Now playing: ","notPlaying":"None","frequencyLabel":"Frequency","stateLabel":"Status","stateReady":"Ready","statePlaying":"Playing","tipsTitle":"Test tips","tips":["Make sure the audio output device is connected and selected.","Headphones are best for judging channel separation.","Keep the system volume moderate (around 30%) before starting.","Lower the volume before loud tests to protect your hearing."],"sweepTitle":"Frequency sweep test","sweepSub":"Sweeps smoothly from 100Hz to 8kHz to check the whole band for distortion or crackle.","sweepStart":"Start frequency sweep","sweepRunning":"Sweeping… click to stop","sweepRange":"100Hz – 8kHz","currentFreq":"Current frequency","freqTitle":"Frequency response test","freqSub":"Play standard sine waves at low, mid and high frequencies, plus a custom frequency.","lowFreq":"Click to test low · 100Hz","midFreq":"Click to test mid · 1kHz","highFreq":"Click to test high · 8kHz","customFreq":"Custom frequency (Hz)","play":"Play","freqHint":"Enter a frequency between 20 and 20000","devicesTitle":"Audio output devices","noDevices":"No audio output devices detected","detecting":"Detecting audio output devices…"}}

Channels & stereo in detail

This test verifies that the two independent channels actually fire — the most direct way to catch reversed wiring or a silent ear on headphones and speakers.

What to check:

Left / right: sound should come only from the matching side. If both play, it’s usually mono mode or a shorted plug.

Stereo: both sides sound together with a center image — the two channels are working.

Balance: the image pans slowly left, then back to center, checking whether the two channels output at equal strength.

Tips:

Test with headphones on — channel separation is far easier to judge.

Lower the volume first; steady tones tire the ears at high levels.

Frequently asked questions

Why do both sides sound on the left test?

Usually a 3.5mm plug that isn’t seated, shorting the contacts into mono, or “mono audio” is on in accessibility settings. Reseat the plug and turn mono off.

The stereo test sounds off to one side?

That’s an “imbalance”. The headset itself may be unbalanced — swap ears to confirm whether the lean follows the equipment.

The balance test doesn’t center?

An off-center image means the two channels output at different levels, often a volume mismatch or a damaged front jack. Fine-tune left/right balance in system sound.

Why is there no left/right distinction?

Some splitters or adapters don’t pass independent channels (mono downgrade), or the system is in mono mode. Check the sound settings.